Particles of aerated ice confection products for frozen ice drinks

ABSTRACT

A process for preparing aerated ice confection particles by manufacturing an aerated ice confection in a mass; further freezing the mass cryogenically to a temperature close to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the aerated ice confection to form a aerated frozen mass, and comminuting the frozen mass to aerated ice confection particles with a high surface area to volume ratio. These particles can be used for a variety of purposes but preferably are used for forming frozen ice drinks in a simple, rapid and convenient manner. This is particularly useful when a single serving of such drinks is desired as no special equipment to make the drink is required. The invention also relates to packaging for the aerated ice confection particles and methods of making frozen ice drinks from the aerated ice confection particles.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a frozen basecomposition having a high surface area to volume ratio to facilitateeasy mixing with added liquid to make frozen beverages such as milkshakes or smoothies or other frozen ice drinks such as frozen margaritasor daiquiris. In particular, the use of a post-extrusion, secondaryfreezing step to further cool a frozen aerated ice confection or dessertto a temperature near its glass transition temperature followed by thealteration of the physical dimensions of the further cooled productresults in aerated ice confection particles having a substantialincrease in the surface area to volume ratio such that they are highlyuseful for forming such frozen beverages.

Ice particles are needed in order to form frozen ice drinks. Variousmechanical means are used to crush ice cubes or blocks to the desiredsize for use in such products. Alternatively, ice particles can be madeby cooling water droplets to low temperatures. The glass transitiontemperature (Tg) of pure water is −130° C. but the formation of asolution by the addition of solutes such as sugars will elevate thisvalue substantially. The numerical value of Tg is a function of theweighted average molecular weight of the solutes in the solution.

Traditional ice cream manufacturing practice advocates the forming,shaping and packaging of the product close to the extrusion temperature(−4° C. to −7° C.) of ice cream when about 40 to 60% of the water in theproduct is frozen. In this state the product is still relatively softand pliable and exhibits strong surface-adhesive properties. When thisfrozen mass is cooled further to lower temperatures a greater percentageof the water is frozen to ice and the product becomes hard and lesspliable. A frozen beverage like a milkshake or smoothie is oftenprepared by mixing handscooped ice cream or sherbet with milk or waterfollowed by blending using various mechanical means. While thistechnique is well established, it is generally conducted in fast food orrestaurant establishments and not convenient for a user in the home dueto the amount of equipment and effort needed to prepare a singleserving.

A relatively recent trend has been towards the use of cryogenic freezingto make small beads or discrete particles or beads of predominantlyspherical shape by immersion or exposure to a very cold environment suchas liquid nitrogen. During these processes small droplets of liquid mixundergo a very rapid or instant drop in temperature which freezes themto a temperature below the glass transition temperature. Examples ofthis are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,982,577, 5,438,839 and 6,223,542; USpatent publications 2005/0008754A1 and 2006/0196194A1; and PCTpublication WO2006/007922. As long as these cryogenically frozenparticles are stored below the Tg, they will remain free flowing and notstick to each other.

Attempts have been made to use these particles for the preparation offrozen beverages in individual portions by adding a liquid such as milkto a container partially filled with these particles and shakingvigorously by hand after closing with a lid. This has not beensatisfactory to date since the ice particles tend to clump together oradhere after contact with liquid. This detracts from the organolepticproperties that are desired in such products and requires furtherattention to break up these clumps. Generally, the level or degree ofhand shaking that is necessary to break up these clumps is too high forthe ordinary user, and while agitation with a spoon, whisk or manual orautomatic mixing device can break up the clumps, this defeats thepurpose of trying to make the product in a simple manner.

To facilitate easier mixing of the ice particles with a liquid it wasthought to be desirable to provide the particles with a finer size andhigher surface area to volume ratio. One way of achieving this is byconverting the liquid mix to smaller entities like droplets or mistbefore rapidly freezing by exposing to a cryogenic medium such as liquidnitrogen. This is described in German patent DE 197 50 679, whichrelates to the production of ice particles from an aerated liquid mix orfoam. Even though finer particles do mix more easily with a liquid,there remains a tendency for clumping or sticking after contact with theliquid and agitation still is required to make the final product.

Accordingly, there is a need for ice containing particles havingenhanced properties for use in making frozen ice drink products withoutrequiring extensive mixing, and these are now provided by the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for preparing aerated iceconfection particles which comprises preparing an elongated frozenstream of an aerated ice confection; further freezing the streamcryogenically to a temperature close to or below the glass transitiontemperature (Tg) of the aerated ice confection to form an amorphousglass-like solid mass that is not sticky and that has minimalsurface-adhesive properties, and then comminuting the solid mass tofree-flowing aerated ice confection particles.

The elongated frozen stream of the aerated ice confection isadvantageously made by extruding the aerated ice confection into one ormore elongated shapes. Typical aerated ice confections for use in thisprocess include ice cream, frozen dairy dessert, sherbet, sorbet, orfrozen juice, and the aerated ice confection particles preferably have aTg of −5° C. to −15° C.

The elongated frozen stream of the aerated ice confection iscryogenically frozen by subjecting the stream to a temperature of −20°C. to −40° C. or to a lower temperature if desired. Then, the solid massis comminuted into particles by cutting, grinding, crushing, chopping,shredding, or abrading the solid mass. The resulting aerated iceconfection particles have a high surface to volume ratio of about 1 to 5cm2/cm3 with a maximum linear dimension of about 1 mm to 2 cm andpreferably 5 to 20 mm.

Optionally, the process includes coating the ice confection particleswith an aqueous solution of a Tg elevating agent with cryogenic freezingto form a glassy coating on the particles that contributes to theirfree-flowing ability at storage temperatures. Advantageous Tg elevatingagents include biopolymers having a molecular weight of 800 to 15,000Daltons or a natural or artificial sweetener.

These resulting particles are free flowing at temperatures of −5° C. to−35° C. They can be used for a variety of purposes but preferably areused for forming frozen ice drinks in a simple, rapid and convenientmanner. This is particularly useful when a single serving of such drinksis desired as no special equipment to make the drink is required.

The process further comprises packaging the aerated ice confectionparticles in a container such as a bag, pouch or other sealed containerwhich is sized to hold single or multiple servings. Preferably, thecontainer is a cup that includes a removable lid. Alternatively, the lidmay be one that holds the aerated ice confection particles therein andthat can be placed on a cup to introduce the aerated ice confectionparticles into the cup.

The invention also relates to a method of making a frozen ice drinkwhich comprises combining a sufficient amount of the aerated iceconfection particles prepared according to the processes disclosedherein with sufficient amounts of a liquid and mixing to form the drink.The aerated ice confection particles are generally present in an amountof about 10 to 90%, preferably 40 to 70% based on the total amount ofaerated ice confection particles and liquid. Preferably, the aerated iceconfection particles are present in a single serving size container towhich the liquid is added and the mixing of the aerated ice confectionparticles and liquid is achieved by shaking of the container. As notedabove, the container may include a removable lid wherein the lid isremoved prior to introduction of the liquid into the container. Typicalliquids include water, milk, fruit juice, coffee, tea, an alcoholicbeverage, or a liquid beverage forming mix.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a packaged ready to usefrozen ice drink product which comprises a container and aerated iceconfection particles prepared according to the processes disclosedherein. The container is generally in the form of a bag, pouch or othersealed container which is sized to hold single or multiple servings.Again, the preferred container is a cup that includes a removable lid.Alternatively, the container may be a lid that holds the aerated iceconfection particles therein and that can be placed on a cup tointroduce the aerated ice confection particles into the cup.

Further embodiments of the invention include methods of making a singleserving of a frozen ice drink which comprises providing a cup containinga single serving of a liquid, adding aerated ice confection particlesprepared according to the processes disclosed herein; and mixing theaerated ice confection particles and liquid to form the drink. Any ofthe products disclosed herein can be used to facilitate the combining ofthe liquid with the aerated ice confection particles to form the drink.

When the container is a bag, pouch or other sealed container which issized to hold single or multiple servings, the liquid can be provided ina cup with the aerated ice confection particles added to the liquid inthe cup with stirring to form the drink. When the container is a cupwhich is sized to hold a single serving of the drink, and the liquid canbe added to the aerated ice confection particles with stirring orshaking to form the drink. When the cup includes a removable lid, thelid can be removed prior to introduction of the liquid into the cup andthen replaced to allow shaking of the cup to mix the aerated iceconfection particles with the liquid. Generally, hand shaking forapproximately 20 to 80 seconds and preferably 30 to 60 seconds issufficient for most single size servings.

The invention also relates to free-flowing aerated ice confectionparticles comprising comminuted frozen ice confection particles having aTg of −15° C. to −35° C. and a high surface to volume ratio of about 1to 5 cm2/cm3 with a maximum linear dimension of about 1 mm to 2 cm andpreferably 5 to 20 mm. These particles can be used to form a milkshakeor other frozen ice drink.

The invention also relates to the use of a conventional aerated iceconfection to create free-flowing aerated ice confection particles bypreparing an elongated frozen stream of the aerated ice confection;further freezing the stream cryogenically to a temperature close to orbelow the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the aerated iceconfection to form an amorphous glass-like solid mass that is not stickyand that has minimal surface-adhesive properties, and then comminutingthe solid mass to free-flowing aerated ice confection particles.Typically, the particles have a high surface to volume ratio of about 1to 5 cm2/cm3 with a maximum linear dimension of about 1 mm to 2 cm andpreferably 5 to 20 mm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the present method illustrating preferredprocessing steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The first step of the process for preparing high surface area aeratedice confection particles of the invention relates to the manufacture ofan aerated ice confection. Typically, the aerated ice confection may beany conventional milk-based frozen confection formulation. Suchformulations include ingredients such as fat, non-fat milk solids,sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers and water in various proportionsthat are well known to the skilled artisan. The various ingredients aremixed together to form an ice confection mix composition, thecomposition is then homogenized, pasteurized, cooled, optionally aged atabout +2° C. to +6° C. before freezing. Freezing is generally done withstirring and with injection of air in a freezer to provide a degree ofoverrun of the order of 10 to 100%.

The numerical value of Tg for ice cream or a frozen dessert depends on anumber of factors but are predominantly driven by the composition, inparticular, the concentration of low molecular weight sugars, and therate of cooling. For the present invention, a Tg that is similar to thatof conventional ice confection mixes or formulations is preferred. Oneuseful ice cream formulation contains 0 to 12% fat, and preferably 2 to12% fat, 4 to 10% non-fat milk solids, 10 to 25% sweeteners, 0 to 0.5%stabilizers, at least 0.2% propylene glycol monoester of fatty acid asprimary emulsifier, and has an overrun of 10 to 100% by volume.

There also are fruit juice mixtures that are suitable as frozen creamconfections similar to ice cream or related novelties. Descriptions ofthese mixtures can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,977,231; 3,949,098;4,293,580; 4,551,341 and 4,609,561. One useful fruit/water confectioncontains 0 to 100% fruit juice, 0 to 25% sweeteners, 0 to 0.5%stabilizers, at least 0.2% propylene glycol monoester of fatty acid asprimary emulsifier, and an overrun of 5 to 70%.

The frozen composition is then provided in a particular shape forfurther processing. The shape may be any mass that is relativelycontinuous, easily handled and processable into particles. Typically,the mass is prepared in the shape of an elongated solid or semi-solidstream of one or more lines, strands, ropes, rods or the like with eachhaving preferred cross section dimensions of about 0.5 to 2 cm diameter.These streams are preferably already cooled and hardened in aconventional hardening tunnel.

Next, each stream is rapidly frozen cryogenically to a temperature thatis close to the Tg of the ice confection. The percent of the frozenwater increases with decreasing temperature and the product becomesharder and less pliable. At close to the Tg, the mobility of themolecules and the rates of crystallization are substantially reduced.This allows the process of comminuting without detrimental changes tothe texture or other attributes of the product. As more and more of thewater is frozen the sugars in the composition become increasinglyconcentrated in the remaining unfrozen water, leading to a highlyconcentrated and very viscous unfrozen phase. Soon a non-equilibriumstate is reached when the crystallization of the solute (sugars orsweeteners) as well as that of the remaining water are hindered by veryhigh viscosity. At this metastable state, the viscosity and the lowtemperature restrict diffusion and molecular motion respectively and thematerial takes on the form of an amorphous glass-like solid. This isreferred to as the Tg of the composition. Furthermore at temperaturesclose to or below the Tg, the product is not sticky and has minimalsurface-adhesive tendency.

The rapid cryogenic cooling is conveniently conducted in a chamber thatis held at a temperature that is below the Tg of the composition.Cooling is provided by liquid nitrogen or similar cryogenic medium asgenerally known by a skilled artisan. The stream or mass is moved alonga conveyor that passes through the chamber or is introduced onto thechamber by gravity to be cooled to the appropriate temperature andbecome frozen.

The cryogenically frozen mass is then processed to form high surfacearea particles. This is done by subjecting the mass to a comminutionstep. The mass may be subjected to cutting, grinding, crushing,chopping, shredding, abrading or other operations that create or removeparticles from the mass. Any of a wide variety of knives, cuttingblades, grinding wheels, cutting wires or similar equipment can be usedin this step depending upon the size, shape and number of the frozenelongated streams. There is no criticality to the arrangement of cuttingimplements or to the size and shape of the frozen elongated streamsprovided that the streams can be subjected to the comminution action toform the particles. There is also no criticality to the exact size andshape of the particles as long as they are free-flowing at storagetemperatures and are provided in the desired size range of around 2 to 5cm³ with maximum diameters of about 1 to 1.75 cm. These aerated iceconfection particles have a weight of about 0.5 to 3 grams, and asurface area of 1.5 to 5 cm³.

The resultant discrete aerated ice confection particles remain freeflowing and non-sticking provided that they are kept at a temperaturebelow their Tg. The aerated ice confection particles are collected andstored at or below that temperature.

As noted above, the invention provides aerated ice confection particleshaving Tg values that are in the range of normal refrigerator freezertemperatures so that handling by conventional storage and distributionroutes is possible. While this can be achieved by the selection of theice confection that is used, it is optionally possible to coat theparticles with an aqueous base that includes a Tg elevating agentcomprising one or more of Tg elevating solutes, flavor and colorcomponents. This is done by forming an aqueous solution that includesthe Tg elevating agent so that it is higher than the desired productstorage temperature. Sugars like trehalose, polysaccharides, low DEmaltodextrins and starches are generally known to increase the glasstransition temperature and can be added to the particles by coating theparticles with an aqueous solution of such sugars. A skilled artisan candevelop the preferred solutions to achieve the desired Tg values.

Other solutions of Tg elevating agents can also be used to coat theparticles. Such agents include macromolecular biopolymeric of relativelylong chain length, e.g., greater larger than 800 to 1000 Daltons, orstarch based syrups up to a maximum of about 15,000 Daltons. Theseagents impart a Tg at a temperature range that is in line withconventional refrigeration/freezer equipment. Various starches and otherpolysaccharides are known to have a Tg in the range of around 180° C. to200° C. in their dry state. These differ based on molecular weight andother properties such as water content, gelatinization temperature, andstorage time. When these type materials are mixed with water, theresulting solution containing about 5% to 70% wt. water has a Tg in thedesirable range of −5° C. to −10° C. These solutions can be coated ontothe particles by mixing in a suitable vat or vessel that is held at atemperature that is lower than that of the particles. The solution isadded slowly and sequentially so that it can be mixed with and freezeupon the particles to form a glassy coating.

A preferred biopolymer macromolecule is a starch such as corn, wheat orpotato starch and related partially enzymatically degraded starchsyrups. Such preferred syrups have dextrose equivalents (“DE-values”) ofbetween about 1 and 10 and have a molecular weight of about 5,000 to15,000 Daltons. Conveniently, these starches or starch syrups can beenzymatically treated to control viscosity and to also provide a desiredlevel of sweetness. Most preferred are starch syrups such as corn syrup.It is also possible to use other macromolecular components to increasethe glass transition temperature of respective watery solutions. Suchmacromolecular components include other polysaccharides (e.g.maltodextrins, polydextroses having a dextrose equivalent of between 1and 10, pectins, carrageens, galactomannans, xanthans and celluloses ormicrocellulose materials and their derivatives). These may also impartother beneficial functions such as nutritional or non-digestibleproperties, sweetness, texture and demixing stability to thecomposition. The molecules may be linear or branched or otherwiseprovided that they otherwise fall within the other parameters describedherein. The biopolymer can be applied to the cryogenically frozen iceconfection particles to coat them. This can be achieved in a simplemixing device that is held at a temperature below the Tg of theparticles.

Other materials can be added to the composition to achieve a Tg that ismaintained in the preferred range of −5° C. to −15° C. Varioussweeteners can be added. High amounts of low molecular weight sweetenerslike sucrose are not desirable since sucrose acts as a plasticizerdecreasing the Tg of the composition. Some smaller amounts of sugar canbe added provided that the starch is increased adequately to maintainthe Tg in the desired range. Artificial sweeteners may be added insteadof sugar, but these would be in very low amounts (tenths of a percent)to avoid the imparting of excessive sweetness. The artificial sweetenermay be saccharin, cyclamates, acetosulfame, L-aspartyl based sweetenerssuch as aspartame, and mixtures of these. If an artificial sweetener isused, it may be suitably combined with a bulking agent. Preferredsweeteners include sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Erytritol andother high intensity sweeteners can also be used.

After a coating of the Tg elevating agent is applied, the coatedparticles are further exposed to a cryogenic medium to form or maintainthe glassy shell around the particles. This shell contributes to theability of the particles to be free flowing at the desired productstorage temperature.

An overall view of the preferred process is shown in FIG. 1. First, aliquid mix of the aerated ice confection is provided in a flavor vat atapproximately 4° C. to 6° C. The mix is subjected to conventionalaeration and freezing with an exit temperature from the freezer of −4°C. to −6° C. as an elongated frozen mass. Exposure to a cryogenic mediumlowers the temperature of the frozen mass to −15° C. to −17° C. when itbecomes substantially harder. A comminution operation at thistemperature reduces the size of the frozen mass and converts it intodiscrete particles which are then again exposed to a cryogenic mediumwith a resulting decrease in temperature to −25° C. to −30° C. Anaqueous based coating containing Tg elevating compounds, such as sugarsand/or flavoring and/or color can be used to coat the discrete particlesproduced in the previous step. Thereafter the coated particles areexposed to a final cryogenic medium at a temperature of around −35° C.to form a small non-spherical discrete particles having a size of 5 to20 mm along their principal axes. These particles have a high surface tovolume ratio of about 1 to 5 cm2/cm3 to facilitate easy, rapid andconvenient mixing with liquids to form frozen ice drinks.

Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a packagedproduct that enables consumers to make milk shakes and smoothies at homeon demand in a simple and easy way. The high surface area aerated iceconfection particles produced according to the methods described hereinare most preferably packaged in a container that includes a removablelid. The product is maintained in a frozen condition until use. At thattime, the lid is removed, milk or another liquid is added, the lid isreplaced and the container is shaken by hand to form a thick and uniformblend.

The container can be of any suitable single serving size. Typically, thecontainer will be able to accommodate a 12 ounce milk shake or smoothieproduct, but other container sizes such as those that can hold 4, 8, 16or 20 ounces of product can be used. Typical materials for the containerare treated paper, paperboard, plastics, paper-plastic laminates,paper-foil composites, or any other material that is used for holdingfluids or beverages. Generally, styrofoam is preferred due to itsinsulating properties. The shape of cup and lid are not critical andconventional cylindrical shapes are entirely suitable.

The high surface area aerated ice confection particles of the inventionare placed into the container depending upon the size of the product.For a 12 ounce product, approximately 7 to 10 ounces of aerated iceconfection particles are packaged in the container.

The container is packaged with a lid, typically made of a plasticmaterial and having a configuration that releasably engages the rim ofthe container so that the lid can be applied to the container after theaerated ice confection particles are placed therein, but which can beeasily removed when the liquid is to be added to the container.Typically, the material of the lid is a thermoformable plastic so thatit can be provided in the desired shape and have the necessaryproperties to function as described. Typically, the lid is temporarilyremoved so that a fluid can be added to the container.

Other packaging arrangements can be provided. The aerated ice confectionparticles can be provided in a pouch or sealed bag for storage atfreezer temperatures until use. At that time, the user can simply openthe bag, pour out the desired amount of particles in a container or cup,and then mix in the fluid. The particles can be provided in a lid thatis intended to fit on a standard size cup. The lid includes a seal thatis removed to allow the aerated ice confection particles to fall intothe cup for mixing with liquid that is already present in the cup ofthat is subsequently added after the particles are provided in the cup.Thereafter, the lid prevents leakage as the cup is shaken to mix theparticles and liquid to form the drink. Alternatively, the particles canbe directly added into the fluid in the cup with stirring to form thefinal frozen ice drink.

Various combinations of products can be achieved by the use of anappropriate aerated ice confection particle-fluid combinations. First ofall, the aerated ice confection particles can be made from any one of anumber of different flavors of ice cream, sherbert, sorbets, frozenjuice or the like, including low fat or light varieties. An initialdetermination of the flavor can be made upon the selection of the flavorof the particles. Next, the particular fluid can be selected to furtherenhance or complement the flavor of the particles. Any liquid can beused to achieve the desired product characteristics. Typical fluids suchas water, milk, chocolate or other flavored milk, various fruit juicesor mixtures thereof, coffees, teas or similar beverages, alcoholicbeverages, such as tequila, vodka or others, and beverage forming mixes,such as marguerite or daiquiri mixes. From this non-exhaustive listing,it is seen that a multitude of combinations exist for forming single ormultiple servings of all different kinds of frozen ice beverages.Generally, fluids such as water, whole milk, chocolate milk, skim milkor the like can be used to obtain a milk shake, or a fruit juice orfruit drink can be used when it is desired to obtain a smoothie or slushproduct.

When a smoothie or slush frozen ice product is to be made, water or ajuice is often used. Preferably, these juices are made of naturalingredients obtained from a fruit, vegetable or edible plant bycrushing, squeezing or related operations. These juices may by filtered,strained, passed through a sieve, resin beds, clay or diatomaceous earthbed or filters, or ion exchange resins to give a juice, a juiceconcentrate, purees, and so-called modified juices. Specific types ofjuices which can be utilized in the present invention include fruitjuice, concentrated fruit juice, fruit puree, fruit puree concentrate,modified juices, as well as modified concentrated juices and the like.Modified juices, for instance, would include ion exchange treated and/orultrafiltered juices, or deodorized and decolorized ones. Examples of afew of the many specific juices which can be utilized in the product ofthe invention include, for example, peach concentrate, pear concentrate,blackberry puree, cranberry juice, apple concentrate, white grape juice,orange juice concentrate, grape concentrate, lemon juice concentrate,apple juice concentrate, etc. Of course, many other types of juiceswhether in the form of a puree, concentrate, or a juice can be utilized,depending upon the desired end flavor.

If desired, the fluid or liquid itself can include the necessaryflavorants or colorants to achieve the desired flavor or color of thefinal product. These flavorants or colorants can already be combined inthe liquid that is to be added or multiple liquids, one of milk orjuice, a separate flavorant liquid and/or a separate colorant liquid canbe added depending upon the desired properties of the final product.Alternatively, the flavorants or colorants can be added after theproduct is formed and then combined therein by use of a spoon or straw.This enables a partially colored or flavored product to be formed ifdesired.

The aerated ice confection particles can be packaged in a number ofdifferent ways. Conveniently, the aerated ice confection particles canbe provided in a bag, pouch or other sealed container that is used forstorage and shipping. This container can be of the same type used fortransporting ice cream products. Alternatively, the container can be acup or other vessel which is used both for transport and storage of theaerated ice confection particles as well as for preparing the frozen icedrink.

In a preferred embodiment, the liquid is added into a cup or similarcontainer that holds the aerated ice confection particles and thatincludes a lid. The lid is removed to introduce liquid into the cup andthen is replaced so that the liquid and aerated ice confection particlescan be shaken by hand for a sufficient period of time to form the frozenice drink. Generally, hand shaking for approximately 20 to 80 secondsand preferably 30 to 60 seconds is sufficient for most single sizeservings. The amount of liquid would generally vary from about 10% to90% by weight based on the weight of the particles and liquid. Thespecific liquid and particles selected, along with the resulting desiredthickness of the frozen product would contribute to the variation of theamount of liquid in the product. Of course, a skilled artisan canconduct routine tests to determine the preferred amount of liquid touse.

There is a significant difference in organoleptic properties between USand European frozen beverages. The US market generally prefers a colderand grainer beverage, whereas the European marked prefers a more fluidand less cold product. Both types can be made according to the presentinvention by varying the sizes and relative amounts of particles andliquid in the beverage. The different sizes of the aerated iceconfection particles that are provided by the present invention areintended to address the different markets for such products. The largerparticle sizes are more desirable when a more grainy US type product isdesired, while the smaller particles are more desirable for Europeantype products. In addition, the higher amounts of particles relative tothe liquid are more desirable when a “colder” US type product isdesired, while the lesser amounts of particles are more desirable forEuropean type products. On a weight basis, the relative amounts ofaerated ice confection particles and liquid range from 10 to 90%,preferably 40 to 70% aerated ice confection particles, and the balanceliquid. On a volume basis the amounts are about 20 to 90% aerated iceconfection particles, preferably about 60 to 80%, and the balanceliquid. Of course, a skilled artisan can conduct routine experiments todetermine the optimum ratios to provide the specific type of beveragedesired and the US or European consistencies or organoleptic properties.

In addition to the aerated ice confection particles, the container canalso include other components to form the final product. For example,pieces of fruits, nuts, cereal, cookies or candies can be included inthe container for inclusion in the final product. These pieces can beuniformly mixed into the particles so that they will be relativelyuniformly provided in the final product. The size of these pieces canvary from about the same size as the aerated ice confection particles tolarger sizes having about the same density as the aerated ice confectionparticles. Alternatively, these pieces can be provided in a separatecontainer or in the lid and added to the frozen product after it isformed, wherein they can be provided on the upper surface or mixed intothe product using a spoon or straw.

For certain drinks, small amounts of various flavor enhancers ormodifiers, generally food grade acids, can be utilized to imparttartness, enhance flavor, prevent oxidation of the ingredients or thelike. For example, citric acid and other organic acids such as malicacid may be utilized to impart tartness or accentuate the flavor of themixture. These are generally present in the liquid but if necessary canbe included with the aerated ice confection particles. Also, to preventoxidation, ascorbic acid can be utilized.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are provided to illustrate the preferredembodiments of the invention.

Example 1

A conventional ice cream mix was manufactured using standard ingredientsincluding milk, cream, sugars, stabilizers and emulsifiers as showbelow, then pasteurized and homogenized and stored in a flavor vat at 4°C. (40° F.). Mix making was followed by conventional freezing of mixinto ice cream at a specified overrun of 50%. The drawing temperature ofthe frozen ice cream from the freezer ranged from −5° C. to −7° C. Next,the ice cream was formed into the shape of strands of approximately 1.5cm diameter. It was further exposed to a cryogenic medium for rapidhardening at −15° C. to −20° C. The hardened mass was reduced in size bycutting the strands with a knife blade to aerated ice confectionparticles having the following specified weight and dimensions: approx.0.5 to 3.0 grams wt, and 1.5 to 5 cm³ with a principal diameter of about1 to 2 cm, such that the particles have the approximate shape of theletter D.

After attaining the desired size, the aerated ice confection particleswere further hardened in a cryogenic medium at −25° C. to −30° C. sothat they can retain their dimensions without deforming and to provide anon-sticking form. In an additional and optional step, these hardenedparticles were coated with a predominantly aqueous liquid solution toform a glassy and non-sticking surface.

The particles were then exposed to a final cryogenic medium at about−30° C. to −35° C. for further hardening. The aerated ice confectionparticles in the form of a free-flowing, irregularly shaped particleswere collected in containers and stored in a freezer at −25° C. to −30°C.

Compositions of aerated ice confections that can be used are as follows:

Ingredient Amount (wt %) Cream 15 to 35% Condensed Skim Milk  5 to 20%Milk 30 to 50% Sugar 10 to 25% Sweet Whey 1 to 6% Corn Syrup Solids (36DE)  4 to 12% Stabilizers and Emulsifiers 0.1 to 1%   Total 100%Frozen ice drinks in the form of milk shakes were prepared from thisformulation as follows:

The aerated ice confection particles were mixed with milk in variousproportions of 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 with respect to themilk. At each specific ratio, the final product achieved the desiredcharacteristics for a traditional thick milk shake with the desired keyattributes described below:

The product was thick, has a creamy mouth-feel, a desirable slightlygrainy consistency, and optimum coldness, and no changes in this profilewere observed even after holding the particles for 10-15 minutes atambient temperature.

The temperature of final milk shake product during testing was around−2° C. to +2° C. immediately after preparation.

The temperature of the aerated ice confection particles duringevaluation was around −16° C. to −20° C.

The attributes and property descriptions for milkshakes prepared asdescribed above demonstrate that is very similar to those that areprepared in a conventional way.

1. A process for preparing aerated ice confection particles comprising:preparing an elongated frozen stream of an aerated ice confection;freezing the stream cryogenically to a temperature close to or below theglass transition temperature (Tg) of the aerated ice confection to forman amorphous glass-like solid mass that is not sticky and that hasminimal surface-adhesive properties; and comminuting the solid mass tofree-flowing aerated ice confection particles.
 2. The process of claim1, wherein the elongated frozen stream of the aerated ice confection ismade by extruding the aerated ice confection into one or more elongatedshapes.
 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the aerated ice confection isselected from the group consisting of an ice cream, frozen dairydessert, sherbet, sorbet, and frozen juice and the particles have a Tgof −5° C. to −35° C.
 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the elongatedfrozen stream of the aerated ice confection is cryogenically frozen bysubjecting the stream to a temperature of −20° C. to −40° C.
 5. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the solid mass is comminuted into particlesby a step selected from the group consisting of cutting, grinding,crushing, chopping, shredding, and abrading the solid mass.
 6. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the aerated ice confection particles have ahigh surface to volume ratio of about 1 to 5 cm2/cm3 with a maximumlinear dimension of about 1 mm to 2 cm.
 7. The process of claim 1comprising coating the ice confection particles with an aqueous solutionof a Tg elevating agent with cryogenic freezing to form a glassy coatingon the particles that contributes to their free-flowing ability atstorage temperatures.
 8. The process of claim 7 wherein the Tg elevatingagent is selected from the group consisting of a biopolymer having amolecular weight of 800 to 15,000 Daltons, a natural and artificialsweetener.
 9. The process of claim 1, comprising packaging the aeratedice confection particles in a container.
 10. The process of claim 9,wherein the container is selected from the group consisting of a bag,bag, pouch and other sealed container which is sized to hold single ormultiple servings.
 11. The process of claim 9, wherein the container isa cup that includes a removable lid.
 12. The process of claim 9, whereinthe container is a lid that holds the aerated ice confection particlestherein and that can be placed on a cup to introduce the aerated iceconfection particles into the cup.
 13. A method of making a frozen icedrink comprising: preparing an elongated frozen stream of an aerated iceconfection; freezing the stream cryogenically to a temperature close toor below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the aerated iceconfection to form an amorphous glass-like solid mass that is not stickyand that has minimal surface-adhesive properties; comminuting the solidmass to free-flowing aerated ice confection particles; and combining asufficient amount of aerated ice confection particles with sufficientamounts of a liquid and mixing to form the drink.
 14. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the aerated ice confection particles are present in anamount of about 10 to 90% based on the total amount of aerated iceconfection particles and liquid.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein theaerated ice confection particles are present in a single serving sizecontainer to which the liquid is added and the mixing of the aerated iceconfection particles and liquid is achieved by shaking of the container.16. The method of claim 15, wherein the container includes a removablelid the lid being removed prior to introduction of the liquid into thecontainer.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the liquid is selectedfrom the group consisting of water, milk, fruit juice, coffee, tea, analcoholic beverage, and a liquid beverage forming mix.
 18. A packagedready to use frozen ice drink product which comprises a container andaerated ice confection particles prepared from an elongated frozenstream of an aerated ice confection, wherein the stream is cryogenicallyfrozen to a temperature close to or below the glass transitiontemperature (Tg) of the aerated ice confection to form an amorphousglass-like solid mass that is not sticky and that has minimalsurface-adhesive properties and the solid mass is comminuted tofree-flowing aerated ice confection particles.
 19. The product of claim18, wherein the container is selected from the group consisting of abag, pouch and other sealed container which is sized to hold single ormultiple servings.
 20. The product of claim 18, wherein the container isa cup that includes a removable lid.
 21. The product of claim 18,wherein the container is a lid that holds the aerated ice confectionparticles therein that can be placed on a cup to introduce the aeratedice confection particles into the cup.
 22. A method of making a singleserving of a frozen ice drink which comprises: providing a cupcontaining a single serving of a liquid, adding aerated ice confectionparticles prepared by a process comprising preparing an elongated frozenstream of an aerated ice confection, freezing the stream cryogenicallyto a temperature close to or below the glass transition temperature (Tg)of the aerated ice confection to form an amorphous glass-like solid massthat is not sticky and that has minimal surface-adhesive properties, andcomminuting the solid mass to free-flowing aerated ice confectionparticles; and mixing the aerated ice confection particles and liquid toform the drink.
 23. A method of making a frozen ice drink whichcomprises providing a process for preparing aerated ice confectionparticles comprising: preparing an elongated frozen stream of an aeratedice confection; freezing the stream cryogenically to a temperature closeto or below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the aerated iceconfection to form an amorphous glass-like solid mass that is not stickyand that has minimal surface-adhesive properties; and comminuting thesolid mass to free-flowing aerated ice confection particles, andcombining a liquid with the aerated ice confection particles to form thedrink.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the container is selectedfrom the group consisting of a bag, pouch or other sealed containerwhich is sized to hold single or multiple servings, the liquid isprovided in a cup and the aerated ice confection particles are added tothe liquid in the cup with stirring to form the drink.
 25. The method ofclaim 23, wherein the container is a cup which is sized to hold a singleserving of the drink, and liquid is added to the aerated ice confectionparticles with stirring or shaking to form the drink.
 26. The method ofclaim 25, wherein the cup includes a removable lid, the lid is removedprior to introduction of the liquid into the cup, and the lid is thenreplaced to allow shaking of the cup to mix the aerated ice confectionparticles with the liquid.
 27. Free-flowing, aerated ice confectionparticles comprising a comminuted frozen ice confection having a Tg of−5° C. to −35° C. and a high surface to volume ratio of about 1 to 5cm2/cm3 with a maximum linear dimension of about 1 mm to 2 cm.
 28. Useof the aerated ice confection particles comprising a comminuted frozenice confection having a Tg of −5° C. to −35° C. and a high surface tovolume ratio of about 1 to 5 cm2/cm3 with a maximum linear dimension ofabout 1 mm to 2 cm to form a milkshake or other frozen ice drink. 29.Use of a conventional aerated ice confection to create free-flowingaerated ice confection particles by: preparing an elongated frozenstream of the aerated ice confection; freezing the stream cryogenicallyto a temperature close to or below the glass transition temperature (Tg)of the aerated ice confection to form an amorphous glass-like solid massthat is not sticky and that has minimal surface-adhesive properties; andcomminuting the solid mass to free-flowing aerated ice confectionparticles.
 30. The use according to claim 29, wherein the particles havea Tg of −5° C. to −35° C. and a high surface to volume ratio of about 1to 5 cm2/cm3 with a maximum linear dimension of about 1 mm to 2 cm.